Locals happy to see bench reinstalled in bus shelter

A bench has been reinstalled in the bus shelter near Save-On-Foods on Seventh Avenue South after a Williams Lake senior protested its removal in December.

City welder Darren Lemky was working on the bench Thursday afternoon, much to the delight of locals who told the Tribune they were happy to see the bench back.

Donna Mae Smith brought her concerns about the bench’s removal to the Tribune on Dec. 15 and addressed mayor and council at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 19 to share her displeasure.

At the meeting Smith told council she was puzzled by the move.

“I’ve been told this was done for safety and last spring when they took Boitanio Park’s shelter away I was told it was the exact same issue. I can truthfully say I have ridden the bus practically every day for 13 years and I have never seen anything that would make me believe I was in physical danger.”

After council agreed to return the bench, Smith penned a letter to editor thanking everyone who supported her in her appeal.

“As I previously stated, it is a community issue and as such requires community input from everyone affected, to permanently solve,” Smith wrote. “Truly, this is a matter that affects us all, and the city’s population as a whole has a lot of work to do on this issue. Thankfully, it looks like we have made a good beginning.”